YouTube founder Jawed Karim is one of the standout names who will take part in the second hy! Berlin event in January. He will be one of 150 hand-selected tech pioneers from around the world who will be checking out the startup system in the German capital.
The second day of the event will see a pitch competition involving 12 startups, with half of them revealing their companies to the public for the first time.
Following on from the success of its kick-off event in October, hy! Berlin will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, media and key corporate players on January 18 and 19 at RADIALSYSTEMV, during Berlin Fashion Week and just ahead of DLD and the World Economic Forum. Also confirmed to attend is Renaud Visage, founder of Eventbrite, and Kickstarter’s Charles Adler.
The competition will see a dozen representatives of the European startup community, with six unveiling their companies and six pitching to a panel of investors. Sponsor hub:raum will provide prizes including €15,000 and a trip to Silicon Valley. Applications are open until January 6.
Aydo Schosswald, co-founder of hy!, which styles itself as Europe’s first demo stage for global startups, said: “Startups don’t get the attention in Europe they deserve. With hy! We want to provide a platform where startups can present themselves to the media, investors and final consumers – as it ought to be.”
At the previous hy! event, Toywheel emerged triumphant and walked away with €10,000. They also enjoyed a trip to San Francisco with the two runners up. Toywheel and Capsule.fm are currently undertaking a two-month acceleration program at hub:raum and will present their progress at hy!.